Text and History of the Bible

Rules Governing the King James Translators

Perhaps no other English translation has captured the heart of English-speaking peoples more than the King James Version. A mythology has developed about the translation and about those who produced it. Many people visualize pious, scholarly men, working feverishly, sensing God’s divine guidance as they work to translate the Bible.

While they may have been pious men, they operated under specific guidelines. Some were good; others betray a religious and even a political prejudice, intended to ensure that the translation conformed to the realities of the time.

Fifteen general rules were given for the guidance of the translators. Some of them will probably appear to you to be quite reasonable. Others seem to betray a desire to keep the status quo whenever possible. We see in these rules both an attempt to provide logical guidelines for translation, as well as barriers which appear designed to prevent the translators from going too far out of the bounds that James and the ecclesiastical officials felt appropriate. The rules are listed below. Some of them need no explanation. For others, I have inserted my own comments in brackets below the rule.

Here are the rules for the Translators.

1. The ordinary Bible read in the Church, commonly called the Bishops Bible, to be followed, and as little altered as the Truth of the original will permit.

[The deck was stacked against the Puritans from the beginning. James I had already expressed his belief that, although none of the existing English translations were adequate, the Geneva Bible was the worst. By insisting that the Bishops’ Bible be the starting point, he hoped to minimize the influence of the Reformers.]

2. The names of the Prophets, and the Holy Writers, with the other Names of the Text, to be retained, as nigh as may be, accordingly as they were vulgarly used.

3. The Old Ecclesiastical Words to be kept, viz. the Word Church not to be translated Congregation &c.

[The Anglicans supported a more institutional approach than the Puritans, and both sides naturally wished a translation that supported their perspective. The word “church” is just one example. Although it had been used in notes and references, the English word “church” was not used in any translation until (interestingly enough) the Geneva Bible of 1560. Before that, the Greek word “ekklesia” had normally been translated as “congregation,” matching its usage in the Septuagint. Another example from the Bishops’ Bible that made it into the King James was the translation of the Greek word “pascha” in Acts 12:4 as “Easter,” instead of the normal translation of “Passover,” as it was translated in the Geneva Bible.]

4. When a Word hath divers Significations, that to be kept which hath been most commonly used by the most of the Ancient Fathers, being agreeable to the Propriety of the Place, and the Analogy of the Faith.

5. The Division of the Chapters to be altered, either not at all, or as little as may be, if Necessity so require.

6. No Marginal Notes at all to be affixed, but only for the explanation of the Hebrew or Greek Words, which cannot without some circumlocution, so briefly and fitly be expressed in the Text.

[This had been perhaps the greatest issue with the Geneva Bible. While King James and the Anglican Bishops certainly had concerns about some of the translations in the Geneva Bible, their main objections came from the marginal notes which tended to interpret passages from a Reformed point of view. The problem was resolved for both sides by insisting that only notes intended to clarify the language would be allowed.]

7. Such Quotations of Places to be marginally set down as shall serve for the fit Reference of one Scripture to another.

8. Every particular Man of each Company, to take the same Chapter or Chapters, and having translated or amended them severally by himself, where he thinketh good, all to meet together, confer what they have done, and agree for their Parts what shall stand.

[This was one of the strengths of the process, because no one person could determine the final translation. It became essentially the work of a committee, representing both Puritans and Anglicans. This made it less likely for either side to dominate the translation. This principle is outlined in more details in other rules below. Most modern translations (such as the New International Version and the New Revised Standard Version are the work of committees, consisting of members who come from a variety of faith backgrounds. This helps to ensure that the translation does not reflect the religious presuppositions of any one person or denomination.]

9. As any one Company hath dispatched any one Book in this Manner they shall send it to the rest, to be considered of seriously and judiciously, for His Majesty is very careful in this Point.

10. If any Company, upon the Review of the Book so sent, doubt or differ upon any Place, to send them Word thereof; note the Place, and withal send the Reasons, to which if they consent not, the Difference to be compounded at the general Meeting, which is to be of the chief Persons of each Company, at the end of the Work.

11. When any Place of special Obscurity is doubted of, Letters to be directed by Authority, to send to any Learned Man in the Land, for his Judgement of such a Place.

12. Letters to be sent from every Bishop to the rest of his Clergy, admonishing them of this Translation in hand; and to move and charge as many skilful in the Tongues; and having taken pains in that kind, to send his particular Observations to the Company, either at Westminster, Cambridge, or Oxford.

13. The Directors in each Company, to be the Deans of Westminster, and Chester for that Place; and the King’s Professors in the Hebrew or Greek in either University.

14. These translations to be used when they agree better with the Text than the Bishops Bible: Tyndale’s, Matthew’s, Coverdale’s, Whitchurch’s, Geneva.

[Both William Tyndale and John Rogers (the presumed translator of Matthew’s Bible) had been burned for daring to translate the Bible into English. Tyndale had mercifully been strangled prior to having his body burned. Rodgers had not been so fortunate. This should remind us of the price that has been paid in order for us to have free access to an English Bible.]

15. Besides the said Directors before mentioned, three or four of the most Ancient and Grave Divines, in either of the Universities, not employed in Translating, to be assigned by the vice-Chancellor, upon Conference with the rest of the Heads, to be Overseers of the Translations as well Hebrew as Greek, for the better observation of the 4th Rule above specified.

What shall we make of all this? Perhaps the main thing to remember is that the translators of the King James Version were people like ourselves. They were, for the most part, devote Christians, who were dedicated to preparing an accurate and meaningful English translation. At the same time, they (like we) were influenced by their backgrounds and theological presuppositions. They were not perfect and never claimed to be. The project they undertook was immense, and they fulfilled it admirably. We shall talk more about that next week.

John,
You can find the rules referred to in a number of sources, some more complete than others, but they are fairly well known. Let me give you two websites that are fairly complete.http://www.kjvonly.org/other/kj_instructs.htm